Two-For Tuesday: Fairhope's Two-Hat Turner

Dear everyone,

The official primary results from June 3, 2014 will not be available till Friday. However it appears that the power structure prescribed by Lynn Stacy is alive and well.

The county commission is going to have little change. This will empower the commissioners to do what they wish as there is no relevant media coverage. One of their ambitions is to bring like-minded municipalities of Baldwin County into their group; such as Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fairhope—all three communities’ mayors endorsed and pushed the candidates currently in office.

Mr. Tucker Dorsey also won a coveted position on the state republican executive committee. This is the committee that decides whether a person is worthy enough to run. He also sits on the county commission. See any red flags?

Mr. Gruber secured his position and of course Mr. Burt, the dinosaur, still thinks he is in charge. The runoff election between James and Elliott is particularly interesting is how it has upset the status quo. The result of the runoff will only add to the machine’s power.

However, what is most compelling is the fact that the commission did not expect Mr. Cody Phillips to enter the race, which has resulted in a runoff between the other two.

Mayor Kant in Fairhope is openly supporting Elliott, leading him around town by hand, trying to ensure his election. James is out as far as Kant is concerned. Don’t forget, Mr. Stacy’s plan was to have Elliott all along—and now the elected county commissioners must turn their back on James, which has infuriated his business partner, Senator Lee Pittman.

There is no way for the citizens of Baldwin County to win on this one. I believe I am just going to abstain from voting in this race.

In the sheriff’s race, Hoss Mack won it handily. However, a black cloud hangs over the method in which he was able to secure an advantage over his opponents. The assistance of Senator Pittman to introduce legislation on the qualifications for sheriff in Baldwin County is most likely unconstitutional—just like the Accountability Act also authored by Mr. Pittman.

If indeed the law is challenged and ruled unconstitutional, there should be a new election held. I am confident the courts will instruct accordingly. Rights have been horrendously breached. Only 25 blacks were eligible to run after Pittman and Mack’s electioneering.

Local Fairhope news…(FAUX HOPE)…

This is just as discouraging as the primary races. Mr. Lee “Two Hats” Turner, who sits on the Planning Commission and heads up Fairhope Single Tax simultaneously for his puppet master Tim Kant. Mr. Turner’s resume’ at Planning and Zoning includes the Publix Lawsuit, the First Baptist Church fiasco, the filling of Fly Creek with red clay, an environmental disaster, the Dyas Lawsuit and his crowning achievement—limiting debate to three minutes for citizens’ input one time a year. Lee Turner also runs Pittman Insurance Company—you can’t make this up folks!

This limiting of public participation was his way of quashing any constructive criticism that I brought before P&Z. Their answer to my criticism was to punish the entire town by disallowing their voice.

Now Mr. Turner heads Fairhope Single Tax, where at last night’s meeting he insisted it was not a public meeting—was for member’s only—and that he would call police on the general public in attendance who thought it was a public meeting at Centennial Hall.

Mr. Turner wishes to remove two members, who like myself, were researching FSTC records looking into the truth. The meeting ended with Mr. Turner declaring an executive session, and moving the directors to their private offices downtown, leaving the public in attendance angry, confused and wanting answers.

Mr. Turner should be forced to resign from one of his two hat positions for Mayor Kant. There is nowhere in the FSTC Constitution that says meetings are for members only. The FSTC is an institution with great historical significance to Fairhope. The fact that this organization has now been infected with the politics of Tim Kant is apparent with Mr. Turner’s precarious wearing of two hats. Further, the FSTC is a non-profit corporation, which ensures that its meetings are public.

How convenient it will be for the mayor to decide which project he wants to fund, inform P&Z of the project, and then have Mr. Turner use the FSTC to fund the same project. You think this is far-fetched? The city recently tried through Councilman Burrell to solicit one million dollars from Fairhope Single Tax for the Dyas Triangle, which is now known as “Obama Park” because we paid $12 million to settle a lawsuit. Three million went to Hand-Arendall for legal fees, spawning a lawsuit by our insurer AMIC, who is suing Tim Kant for misrepresentation, and other charges. We the citizens are paying his exorbitant legal bills.

I am very pleased to announce that Kimberly McCuiston is officially on the ballot for Senate seat 32 and Senator Lee Pittman can be assured that he is going to have to absolutely answer some extremely difficult questions, or will he just hide and wait for the imminent multiple federal indictments?

Francis Paul Ripp
High Ridge Road
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